


The Game

by suluismyspirit



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Inspired by The Hunger Games, Light Angst, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 08:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8320843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suluismyspirit/pseuds/suluismyspirit
Summary: On an away mission to study an advanced shield device, Sulu and Chekov don't quite make it to the city. The shuttle is brought down, the two awakening to find themselves fighting for survival. Sorry, I'm so bad at summaries.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Another writing session between me and a friend. Plot brought to you thanks to the Hunger Games.

Sulu woke up to a pounding headache and sparks scattering down from overhead. He blinked, biting back a groan as he rolled over, getting to his knees. He stopped there for a moment, taking stock of his own injuries: bruised ribs, cut to the forehead but not deep, and a slight burn on his left hand. Shaking off a spell of dizziness, the Asian looked around, closing his eyes and grimacing as he saw the two engineers. The two red clad crewmen were staring vacantly and Sulu nearly dreaded looking around for Chekov. Sulu shifted, flinching away from a snap of electricity and shower of sparks, moving around the pilot’s chair. 

It was supposed to have been an easy escort mission. Sulu had had some time off and had volunteered to fly the team down, though in reality he’d just wanted to hang out with Pavel. The Russian, who had a deep interest in all things engineering for reasons Sulu would never understand, had been placed on a team whose mission had been to study an advanced shield device. 

The civilization who had control over the device had, thus far, refused to cooperate or speak with Starfleet representatives, so there was very little known about the people. So of course the ambassador assigned to the Trirx had been extremely enthusiastic about their offer to have a small group of engineers come look at the shield technology.   
Of course, the ambassador had obviously not done enough research seeing as the shuttle had barely passed the atmosphere, and was nowhere near the city when they’d started having problems. Sulu closed his eyes for a moment, ribs aching, remembering the turbulence, shouting orders, a panel exploding in one of the engineer’s face. The shuttle hadn’t been under fire, but something had brought it down, knocking out all comms first, then navigation. It hadn’t been Sulu’s smoothest landing and the shuttle was, to put it bluntly, a complete mess. The thick trees of what had looked like a dense forest was probably all that saved the two survivors.

Sulu breathed out carefully, looking over to see Chekov injured, but breathing evenly. Hikaru wanted to laugh in relief, but settled instead for shifting some debris, reaching over to gently shake Chekov’s shoulder. 

Blackness. That was all Chekov saw, felt, and heard. If anyone had ever told him he'd be hearing colors, he would've assumed they'd had one too many Cardassian Coolers at Quarks. But now, the blackness was all he seemed to know. His conscious became alive, as panic tinged the blackness with red. It took him a moment, but finally he was able to access the last twenty minutes of his life, his body wincing in the memory of a shower of sparks leaving a nasty burn on his side. The panic helped him think, sharpened his memories until it felt like he was back on the shuttle, legs burning as he sprinted down the engine chamber, huffing as he tried to find out what exactly had happened to cause the malfunction. 

_“Sir,” his Russian accent had rung thick in his voice. “Our capacitors hawe been owver-“ And then they were falling out of the air, all forms of connection disbanded. Gravity took its hold on Chekov, slamming him to ground, his head hitting the floor hard enough to make him see stars and then it was lights out._

Sulu jostling his shoulder was enough to make a string of incoherent Russian babbling slip from his mouth, until a jolt of pain made color splash his world again. He sat up quickly, inhaling sharply as his chest contracted, sore muscles coiling. His shoulder had been dislocated, and Hikaru shaking it had only imbued a deeper ache within his bones. 

The small Russians gray-blue eyes darted around, catching sights of ruined technology, piece of the ships exterior, and even shards of the interior piercing walls. His eyes landed on the red shirts, what was left of them anyways, and his breathing accelerated significantly- and that was saying something, seeing as his pulse was already racing. Finally, he jerked his head around to Sulu, wincing as whiplash hit him hard enough to make him sway back again, shooting his uninjured arm out to catch himself. A sigh of relief stole from his lips as he took in Hikaru, indeed, not dead. 

“Sulu? Uh, where are we, exactly?”

The pilot sighed, relaxing back as the Russian regained consciousness.   
“Exactly?” Sulu gave a humorless laugh, groaning moments later. “Couldn’t tell you exactly, but it’s nowhere near our destination.” He got to his feet, pressing a few buttons on the panel and frowning at the results. “Whatever brought us down is interfering with the sensors. I can’t get a clear reading as to which way the city is…” He paused for a moment as a new diagram appeared. It wasn’t anything like the federation shuttle had ever produced before. It appeared to be a map of sorts, six little red X’s spread out across the area.   
Sulu dismissed it, it made little sense and he had other concerns at the moment. “Come on Pav.” Sulu encouraged, carefully helping his friend up. “Readings don’t look so good for the shuttle, we need to get out of here.” 

Once he’d settle Chekov a safe distance away, he straightened, looking around apprehensively. Their surrounds were much as the map had reflected. Besides the broken and flattened trees marking the path their shuttle had taken, the area was relatively clear. 

”Sorry, I’m no Doctor McCoy, but we’re going to need to fix that shoulder.” He said, after checking over the other’s injuries. “Communications with the Enterprise were cut off pretty quickly after we passed through the atmosphere.” Sulu spoke as he worked, an attempt to distract the Russian. “They’ll notice we’re missing pretty soon when we don’t check in, but I’m fairly sure our distress call didn’t reach them.” 

After he’d finished, Sulu settled back to let Chekov recover, continuing to talk. “Which means no one will be looking for us very quickly, and even when they do, they’re going to have a hard time getting through that shield.” If they even could. And when force failed, they were going to have to go through the ambassador and request a rescue team be sent. Considering how long it had taken her to even get permission for _them_ to come down, Sulu doubted the Trirx were going to be any more accommodating. 

”We should find some shelter.” Sulu commented, though he made no motion to get up. He gave Chekov a look, trying to determine if he was up for moving yet. They had no supplies, no information on the weather habits of this planet, and no idea when help would be coming. Staying with the shuttle was not an option. 

Closing his eyes, Chekov let out a shaky sigh and leaned back. His shoulder throbbed, but at least he could move it now if need be. Sulu was saying something. Chekov opened his eyes and looked at the Asian, frowning. "So vhat you're saying is, is zhat zhey don't know ve crashed yet." he shifted, wincing some. It could be awhile before the Enterprise would come for them. Even if they knew something was wrong, whatever had interfered with the shuttle could very possibly block the transporter.

Shelter. It was what they needed most. Realizing he had zoned out, Chekov turned to Sulu again and nodded. The injury on his side burned, but he was determined to keep moving. He had to.   
The Russian put a hand on the tree beside him and proceeded to pull himself up, sagging against it once he was standing. A sheen of sweat glistened on his brow as he finally took in the crumpled remain of the shuttle. It was hard to recognize, mostly a twisted lump of metal. For the first time Chekov realized how lucky they actually were. He turned away, trying to calm his racing heart. They had to get out of here. He didn't know where they would go, they just had to leave.

"Let's g-go..." he stuttered nervously, taking a step forward.

Sulu stepped forward, prepared to offer his friend assistance if the Russian needed it. Even if it would hurt like hell on his ribs. He’d come out of this a lot better and he knew it would take more than a five minute break before Pavel was anywhere near even pretending to be recovered.

”Don’t worry about it Pav.” He said lightly, covering up his own reservations in an attempt to reassure Chekov. “It’ll be like shore leave. Nice weather, great scenery. Who could ask for more?” He grinned at Chekov, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Unless the indigenous people suddenly had a bout of cooperative spirit, the Enterprise had little way of locating them or transporting them out. They had no supplies, and no way of contacting Star Fleet for help.  
To make matters worse, they had no phasers. It had been part of the agreement, and regulations notwithstanding, the ambassador had pulled some strings and the away team had shipped out sans weapons. After a seconds deliberation, Sulu headed in the direction of one of the X’s that had appeared upon the strange map. There was only wilderness in every direction for a great many hours walk, that one little marker was the only indication Sulu’d had of anything different. And, Sulu though with a worried glance at Chekov, they could really do with some medical help. It was worth the risk.

"Shore leave. "Only vizhout ze doctor and anyone else," Chekov replied with a small grin. It lifted his spirits that Sulu was trying to make him feel better. It was working a little, but he was only brought back down again when he realized how slow they were going. It was fully his fault, though he knew Hikaru would deny it profusely. He half considered telling the other to go on without him, but brushed the thought away since he knew Sulu would do no such thing. It was cheesy anyway.

They had been going for a bit (Chekov was silently wondering where they were headed), when the Russian noticed that Sulu walked as if in pain. Worry immediately bubbled up and he was painfully aware that though Hikaru had checked him, Chekov hadn't checked to make sure he was alright. Hurrying to catch up to Sulu, gritting his teeth to keep from crying out at the sudden flair from his side, he tapped the pilot's shoulder with a hand heavier than he expected it to fall. "Karu," he began softly, voice wavering ever so slightly. He swallowed and tried again, determined to not worry his friend more than he already was. "Karu, you're hurt..." his eyes lingered on the cut on Sulu's forehead, and drifted down to the burnt hand. 

Sulu stopped, turning to face Chekov as he caught up to tap his shoulder. He was unable to stop flash of pain crossing his face as his ribs protested. He might have to amend that bruised to cracked. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to joke _this_ particular concern away, he tried for a reassuring smile instead. “I’m fine Pavel, it’s just a scratch and a little singe.” He commented, downplaying the cut and burn and making no mention of any other injuries. 

Knowing that wouldn’t be near enough of an explanation, a change in subject was the plan. ”There was this map, came up on the panel.” He started explaining. It occurred to him that he should have be letting Chekov in on what exactly the plan was from the beginning. He hesitated a moment, a hint of concern and uncertainty that he hadn’t thought to tell Chekov earlier. “There… were some markers and that should be the best bet for help.” He continued, motioning in the direction they’d been walking. 

The flash of pain didn't go unnoticed, and Chekov bit his lip worriedly. Sulu said he was fine, but Pavel knew he wasn't. The subject was changed quickly, and that only managed to increase his nervousness. If it was bad, Sulu didn't want to worry him. But if it got too bad... he didn't want to think of that now.

Chekov nodded, trying to push down his fear and put on a brave face as Sulu was doing. "Yes. Ze ambassador must be looking for us, anyvay. Ve are late for ze meeting." he started on again, going faster than before but decided to stay by Hikaru's side. They had no phasers, but the captain had insisted upon them bringing communicators. A thought popped up that maybe they were still in use and could be used. With a glimmer of hope, Chekov reached for the gadget on his waist, bringing it up for examination. It seemed to be intact and he silently thanked whoever had made them for making them so hardy. Sending a small smile to his companion, the navigator flipped it open. "Chekov to Enterprise, come een Enterprise."

Nothing.

He tried again and still there was nothing. He put it away sadly and glanced at Sulu. "Interference," he stated glumly, deciding to now focus on not collapsing and making it to their destination.

Sulu nodded and walked beside Chekov, brow furrowing at the thought of the ambassador. Another thing he hadn’t considered. He didn’t get his hopes too high as Chekov pulled out the communicator. She shuttle’s comm had gone down quickly, it made sense the personal comms wouldn’t work either.

They walked in silence for a bit, Sulu slowing the pace every now and then, though it wasn’t completely for Chekov’s benefit. By the time they reached a torn up path much like what their shuttle had made, Sulu was breathing a bit harder than he’d care to admit. He let out a puff of breath, narrowing his eyes at the shine of metal in the distance.  
He paused for a moment, blinking away a bit of dizziness as he rested a hand against the trunk of a tree. He jerked away, stumbling back clumsily as a high long chiming note sounded. After a moment he saw a glow on the tree, a picture of a blue humanoid alien’s face, eyes wide and staring. Overlaying the picture appeared the number seven, which, after a moment, marked down to a six before the picture vanished all together. 

As Sulu paused, Chekov did the same, panting. Though he was out of breath, Sulu seemed doubly so. He was about to suggest taking a break when a noise sounded, making him jump. His eyes darted over to Sulu, before following the pilot's gaze up to the tree. There was a face, but before Chekov could figure out who or what it was, the image was gone. Still, it left the Russian with a pounding heart. Why had the number gone down? What did it mean, and who was the person they had been shown?

A shiver ran down his spine and he suddenly had newfound strength. Chekov hurried around to Sulu, paling some. "Karu, vhat vas zhat?!" he asked in a panicked but hushed tone, accent thickening due to his distress. He didn't even bother trying to hide his fear this time. "Ve hawe to go, ve can't stay here!" 

Sulu was frozen for a moment, brain having a hard time catching up to what he’d just seen and what Chekov was currently saying. He could feel his heart racing, it had all but leapt out his chest at that loud note. Had _he_ done that? Sulu was trying to keep the growing panic down, he could hear it on Pavel and knew _one_ of them needed to be calm. But it was becoming hard to focus, his headache had returned with a vengeance.

Suddenly finding that red X didn’t seem like such a good idea, and a nice cool hiding place sounded much better. There was a faint sound of dark laughter coming from the direction of the other downed ship, though Sulu barely processed the sound. He turned to look at Chekov, going for in control and confident, though it come out more glassy eyed and exhausted. “Yeah, yeah.. Let’s go.” He agreed, voice hoarse. He made no move to leave though, one arm unconsciously wrapping around his ribs. 

"Hikaru?" 

Sulu seemed spaced and far away. Chekov touched him gently on the shoulder, but there was no response. He slowly drew away, head whipping in the direction they had come from as the laugh sounded out. It seemed far enough, but obviously the person or creature was close enough to hear. It didn't help matters that when Sulu finally spoke, his words sounded tired and strained. Chekov looked back at his friend, taking in how the pilot had suddenly aged with his hunched posture and glassy, half-closed eyes. The Russian suddenly realized that there was much more damage than what Hikaru had originally mentioned.

Chekov carefully draped an arm around his friend's shoulders. He couldn't help but let out a groan of pain as his side and shoulder heavily protested, but there was no other choice. "Hang on, Karu. Stay vith me..." he was surprised at the emotion thick in his words and fought to keep his voice steady. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew that it was something internal. It had to be. If only he had paid more attention in the medical classes...

Pavel had never felt such fear before. He had felt something similar when the Enterprise had crashed and he thought that he and the captain were the only survivors. This, however, was a whole different level of unease. They were alone on an unknown planet, injured, no contact with the ship, and somebody closing in behind them. Chekov wasn't sure how to handle the situation - he could barely think as it was. All he knew was that they had to get away. Had to find safety. Had to find help...

Sulu let Chekov help him, leaning perhaps a bit more heavily on the smaller officer than he meant to in his attempt to remain upright. He tried to clear his head, frustrated at how useless he was being. Worse than useless, he was a liability. 

They started moving, not back the way they’d come or toward their prior destination Sulu noted. A fleeting though occurred, a jumble of information that caused him to nudge Chekov toward a specific direction. He couldn’t understand why it was so hot, this worlds sun was already going down, and Chekov seem barely phased. Yet here he was, sweating and trying to breathe evenly enough to keep his ribs from screaming at him. His mind skipped back to the sensor readings from the shuttle, a river and some rocky outcrops. He couldn’t really tell whether he was talking or thinking, but he certainly was thankful of Chekov beside him, he’d have dropped by now if it weren’t for him.

The sun had crept low, the forest full of shadows when there was another chime, this one lower than the one they’d heard previously. Up ahead was a glow of light, flickering every so often. Splashed across a rock formation was a projection of two boxes, flashing invitingly, as if waiting for one to be selected.

Hikaru slid to the ground as they stopped, legs buckling from under him in a refusal to go one step further. “Pav?” he said questioningly, blinking blearily at the two identical boxes that, for all it appeared to him, were floating in the air. 

He had been concentrating so hard on keeping them both upright that Chekov barely felt Sulu's nudge. He looked at the sweat covered officer for a moment before shifting as well, starting to struggle under Sulu's near dead weight. 

He nearly dropped the pilot when a sound started again, similar to the one of earlier but still different. Chekov furrowed his eyebrows at the flickering light, but went towards it gladly. He had been wondering what they were going to do when it got darker, especially since he hadn't seen any means of shelter yet. 

Sulu apparently couldn't handle anything more and Chekov tried to make his landing as smooth as possible, though landing on rock wouldn't be fully comfortable. He was secretly half glad that Hikaru was done for he wasn't sure how much more he could take. 

Panting now and sore all over, Pavel slowly approached the floating boxes, eyeing them warily. They were identical, but there was no way of telling what was inside. He figured that it would be one would hold something good and useful, and the other something horrible. The Russian tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it remained as his stress rose. He glanced back at Hikaru, eyes asking for help even though he knew that it was his decision. Taking a deep breath, Chekov turned again and reached for the box on the right; the one closest to him.

The box on the right flashed brightly for a moment before both vanished, plunging the two officers into complete darkness. The temperature was dropping, though to Sulu it still felt scorching, and the rustling of wildlife could be heard in the darkness around them. The pilot lay down, stretching out and closing his eyes in exhaustion, muttering utter nonsense. 

For a good ten minutes everything else was quiet, then there was a sharp crack, the rock opening up to reveal a compartment inside. Inside, neatly folded, was one thick blanket, large enough for one. Stacked neatly on top was some bandages, a vial of medicine with unintelligible writing, and a canteen of water. 

As soon as the darkness hit, Chekov let out a startled yelp. He stood, frozen, for a few seconds before turning and trying to make his way back to Sulu. Once he had found the pilot, Chekov stiffly sat down next to him, simply staring ahead. It was strange that he couldn't feel anything anymore. The pain had dimmed down to barely an itch, and though he was thankful for the relief, he knew that it probably wasn't normal. Did he care at that moment though? No. What he did care about was that Sulu's mumbling had grown quiet. If there was _one_ thing he remembered from the class back at Starfleet, it was that if there was an internal injury, the patient wasn't to sleep until the danger had passed.

Letting out a soft sigh knowing that Hikaru simply wanted to sleep and leave the world of pain, Chekov nudged the man's shoulder. He pulled back after a second, alarmed at how much heat was radiating off of Sulu's body. There was a chill in the air and he should be shivering, not sweating. Where was that box? It had been such a good time and whatever was in it, good or bad, he could really use right now.

As if reading his thoughts, there was a loud _snap_. Chekov quickly raised his head to investigate. There was a large opening in the rock that wasn't there before. Struggling to his feet, the navigator wobbled over, over-joyed at what he saw. It was everything they needed at the moment and he swiftly muttered a 'thank you' in Russian. The cave looked big enough for the both of them as well, and Chekov thought it would be good at least for the night.

He hurried back over to Sulu and crouched down next to him. "Karu," he started softly. "I know you're tired, but ve have to move. Come on, eet ees not far." he carefully helped the pilot to his feet, nearly doubling over at his own wave of pain. "Eet ees not far..." he repeated again for himself.

Sulu didn’t understand a word coming out of Chekov’s mouth, but he got the idea as the Russian helped him up. He did his best to walk, though the world was tilting alarmingly around him. Of course, he complained about this to Pavel, stumbling along with the Russian loyally. He could hardly keep himself walking in a straight line, but he did his best to help Chekov, a small bit of memory telling him it was needed. 

Wherever it was Chekov wanted them to be, Sulu was very glad to arrive and collapse back on the ground, hardly feeling the impact of the stone ground. He was just tired.  
The first thing Chekov did once they made it to the cave was wrap the blanket snugly around Sulu's heated body. He didn't care if the pilot argued, it was needed. The next thing he did was try to bandage the Asian's cut. It was awkward and lopsided, but he eventually was able to get the bandage around his head. He did the hand next, being careful not to hurt Sulu too much as he took care of the burn.

He sat back and examined his work once he was done, dreading what was next. He was no Doctor McCoy, but he had to admit that he was proud of what he had done. Letting out another sigh, Pavel slowly moved and picked up the vial of medicine. He couldn't tell what was written on it or whether the person wasn't writing in english or had horrible handwriting. He knew the dangers of giving someone something that was unknown, especially medicine, but they didn't have any choice. If he took it first, Sulu would die. If he _didn't_ take it, he would still die. The medicine was his only hope in the pilot's survival.

Chekov moved forward, both body and heart protesting. He unscrewed the vial and carefully held it over Hikaru's mouth, one hand moving to be placed under his head. Chekov murmured a few things softly in Russian before tipping the small bottle, watching the liquid disappear into Sulu's mouth. He struggled to hold back his tears. He had no idea how long it would take or if it would. If it didn't, Pavel wasn't sure if he could ever forgive himself.

For Hikaru, the night lasted forever and passed by in an instant. It felt as if he should be tossing and turning, but his body was so heavy he couldn’t move. There was an incessant itching in his skull, a floaty buzzy noise that wouldn’t go away. Hours or minutes could have passed, he didn’t know, before he finally slept.

Sulu woke to light shining in his eyes. He sat up slowly, looking around in confusion. Chekov was nearby, so he didn’t panic, but he had absolutely no clue how they’d gotten here. Last thing he recalled was some face popping up on a tree. He stood up, stretching and testing his muscles. He felt fine, a bit sore, but otherwise back to normal. “Pavel.” He called to the Russian, walking over to wake him. “He Pav. Wake up.” He glanced at the wall behind Chekov, eyeing a counter that was ticking down with unease. They probably shouldn’t stick around here too long. 

Chekov jumped at the mention of his name, waking up with a jolt and immediately on high alert. His eyes jumped to Sulu and for a moment there was pure confusion. When the moment registered, however, Chekov got to his feet and wrapped his arms around the pilot despite the injuries he had yet to dress on himself. "K-Karu," he choked out, not caring about the tears now spilling down his cheeks. "I-I zhought you vere going to die..." he started sobbing, relief flooding through him now that he finally knew his best friend was going to live, that he was okay.

Sulu was surprised, to say the least, upon getting an arm full of emotional Russian. “Hey, Pavel. I’m alright.” He said, trying to calm him down. Sulu couldn’t help a wave of guilt at having caused Pavel to worry so much, even if he couldn’t have done anything to prevent it. Hearing Pavel’s distressed only made the guilt worse. “Come on Pav, whatever you did worked, I’m practically good as new.” He tried joking, nudging Chekov gently with his still bandaged hand. “Give me an engineer over a doctor any day.” Sulu half expected that comment to rile Chekov. The pilot might not remember all the detail of what had happened the past few hours, but he knew he’d been in bad shape. 

Chekov sniffled and pulled away, studying Sulu's face intently for a moment. "But a doctor could hawe helped you so much more..." he wiped his face, feeling slightly ashamed that he had broken down like that. He took a few deep breaths before gesturing to the vial forgotten on the floor. "It vas zhat zhat sawed you. Not me." his gaze returned to the Asian as he mustered a smile. A dull pain reminded him of his unbandaged side and he couldn't help but wince as he imagined Sulu's response to that. He had been so worried about him that the Russian hadn't bothered to fix himself. He remembered specifically thinking to himself that he had to do it before morning, but time had slipped away and he must've fallen asleep because the next thing he knew was that Sulu was nudging him awake.

Chekov slowly pressed a hand to the burn, closing his eyes a moment and letting out a soft hiss. Yep, still hurt. He didn't even want to look. "H-hand me zhe vial, please, Karu." he said quietly, focusing on the small bottle rather than Sulu's face. If it helped the pilot, it could help him.

Sulu frowned, brow furrowing in concern as he caught the wince. He pulled back slightly, looking Pavel over. He pressed his lips together thinly, shaking his head once, but otherwise didn’t comment. Chekov didn’t look to be in any condition to hear Sulu’s standard ‘don’t ignore your injuries’ lecture. That was something that would wait for when they got back to the Enterprise.

“You did fine Pavel, you got us this far.” Sulu commented, turning to get the vial as requested. He studied it for a moment, trying and failing to read what was written on the side. The thing was nearly empty, it wasn’t a very big container anyway. “Where did this come from?” he asked, looking at the bandages and blanket, then back to studying the vial.   
He handed it over to Chekov, it hadn’t harmed him so far as he could tell, and if it worked to fix Pavel’s injuries like it had his, he wasn’t going to complain. He kept an eye on the Russian to see how the meds would affect him, moving around the small space and collecting the remaining bandages, blanket, and the water canteen in preparation to leave. The numbers on the wall were still moving, though he didn’t think Pavel had noticed. The thing was, they didn’t count down normally. They would drop quickly, the thousand eating away quickly down to six hundred, before slowing or stopping, sometimes increasing before dropping again. It made no sense. 

Chekov shrugged lightly, daring a glance at the Asian. The disapproving yet worried expression was evident and a wave of guilt washed over the Russian. He tried to focus on the question instead, turning his head away. "I do not know eef you remember," he began slowly, fiddling with the vial that Sulu had given him. He watched the man gather the supplies for a few minutes before continuing. "But zhere vere two boxes. I chose one, and zhis happened." he gestured around the cave, just as confused as Hikaru, but honestly he didn't care. As long as they were going to be healed.

Noting that he was being watched, Chekov figured he should drink the medicine, and though it had saved Sulu, he raised it to his lips with apprehension. After he drank it, he looked at the empty bottle sadly, before slipping it in his pocket. Even without medicine the glass vial could be handy for something. His eyes looked over at the pilot again, and he saw that Sulu wasn't looking at him, but rather something _behind_ him. 

Furrowing his eyebrows, Pavel turned, paling a bit at what he saw. It was some sort of counter. A timer maybe? Whatever it was it made his stomach turn and a strange sense of foreboding rose up. Leaving his eyes locked on it, he started to slowly back out of the cave. "Time to go..." he murmured, more to himself than to anyone.

Sulu finished packing up, all the items neatly bound together in the blanket, thought there wasn’t much there. “I couldn’t agree more.” He stated nervously, eyeing the nearly completely depleted timer. He followed Pavel out, stopping just outside their impromptu shelter and tilting his head in confusion at another timer on the outside. This one was evenly lowering by the second, and even had a helpful door icon on it. But if this one was going to block off the cave, what was the other one for?

”Hey, Pav..” He began to ask, trailing off as there was a blur of shadow over his head, then a yelp and thud behind him. He spun around, eyes widening in alarm at the sight. A large lizard like creature had pounced at Chekov, the momentum tumbling it off and a few feet away, though it was recovering quickly. Sulu was no expert, but even he could tell it was no natural creature. The bits of metal on its skin were a clue, the obvious camera on its body a dead giveaway. 

Chekov stared at this new timer, wondering at the door symbol. Were they supposed to touch it? What significance did it have? He frowned, before turning to look at Sulu as the pilot started to say something. At that same moment, however, something leapt at him from above and he was sent to the ground letting out a surprised and pained yelp. The world spun and he lay there stunned for a few seconds, trying to regain the breath that was knocked out of him. The dizziness passed quickly, however, and he jumped back to his feet, watching the lizard with wide eyes. "Eet has a camera," he whispered, tilting his head in confusion. What sort of lizard had a camera and metal like skin?

The creature eyed them for a while, before charging unexpectedly towards them. Chekov darted around and leaned against a tree, breathing hard. He was thankful that the medicine had kicked in, and that he could barely feel anything now. But it could also partly be the adrenaline. "Vhat are ve supposed to do?!" he called over to Sulu. His mind was rushing with ideas, but none of them seemed like they would work.

Sulu dove in the opposite direction Chekov moved, rolling to a crouch. “I don’t know…” He called back, watching as the creature’s head whipped back and forth between the two of them. It didn’t seem like it could decide which of them to go after. They didn’t have anything useful to defend themselves with. The thing was fast, so running would be disastrous. 

An idea occurred to him, and he hated it, but it was the best he had. Straightening, he dumped all the leftover supplies from the blanket, shaking it out a little. “Think you can get that cave to seal up?” He called over, backing up as the lizard turned toward him. Hopefully Pavel would see where this was going.

"Zhe cave?" Chekov repeated, confused. "Vhat does zhat have to do vith anyzhing?" he peeked around the tree to where Sulu was. It finally clicked what the other had in mind. The Russian's heart caught in his throat. "Sulu, you can't..." he started, but trailed off, knowing there was no other way. He ducked back behind the tree and hesitated. Behind him he could hear the pattering of the creature’s feet and without looking he could see it advancing towards Sulu. He had to do this.

Taking a deep breath and making sure the lizard was distracted, Chekov hurried over to the timer with the symbol. It was still counting down and he knew that the door was going to close anytime now. He looked over to Hikaru and the monster and gave a thumbs-up accompanied by a weak smile.

Sulu took a steadying breath as he got the thumbs-up from Chekov. He starting moving to the side, toward the entrance yelling at the lizard and waving the blanket to keep its attention. “Hey! Come on, over here.” He used the blanket to keep the monster from simply charging him, it seemed wary of the snapping cloth. He edged closer to the cave entrance, dancing back as the creature hissed and swiped at him.

He’d glanced over at Chekov to see if he was ready when the lizard lunged forward, nearly catching Hikaru by surprised. He wrapped the blanket around the creatures muzzle and leg, keeping it from biting as the two rolled into the cave. He kicked away from it, scrambling to get out before the rocks sealed the cavern, the thing snarling and ripping the blanket behind him.

Chekov could've sworn his heart stopped as Sulu tumbled into the cave, lizard on top of him. He watched the Asian struggle with it, finally wrenching free and darting out. Without thinking, Chekov slammed the door symbol, nearly collapsing with relief as the ground shook and the cave closed.

He trotted over to Sulu and quickly examined the man. There weren't any injuries that he could see. "Are you alright?" he asked quickly, studying Hikaru's expression for any flicker of pain.

Sulu sat down on the ground, limbs shaking with adrenaline, trying to slow his heart. He let out a shakey laugh, looking up at Chekov. “Yeah, just a little winded.” The impact had only knocked the breath out of him. Sulu relaxed back, lying flat. “I was going to suggest taking it easy for a while, fully recover and all. Guess that’s not going to happen here.” There was another one of those long high chimes, then an image was projected on the surface of the now closed rock wall. He groaned and sat up, watching the images.   
It wasn’t exactly pretty. There were actual videos this time, even one of Sulu and Chekov’s close encounter. Not all of the others were so lucky. Sulu looked away briefly as two were taken by the lizards, numbers appearing over the feed and clicking down, six to five to four. Over their own pictures foreign lettering appeared, saying what was anyone’s guess. 

The picture blurred, then faded, and silence fell over the two. “So. Someone’s watching this for certain then.” Sulu stated, tone cold and angry. 

Chekov sat down next to Sulu, thankful for a little downtime. He nodded at Sulu's statement, having hoped himself that they could take it easy. They needed, no matter how good that medicine made them feel. Rest was vital.

It was then that another chime sounded and Chekov was instantly back on alert, relaxing only slightly as it was only a recording this time. He covered his mouth in shock, unable to look away as the two were dragged and ultimately killed. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as the video ended, only then letting his hand drop. He felt numb. How could someone do this to people and simply watch on, as if it were a show. Sulu's tone startled him. He had only heard his friend speak that way once, when Khan was on the loose and he was acting captain.

Pavel placed his face in his hands, trying to sort things out. It was obvious that someone wanted them alive for the time being. Why else would they provide the medicine? But why had whoever was in charge chosen /them/? They were only the pilot and navigator. Wouldn't it have been better to take the captain? Nothing made sense except for one thing. 

"Zhe crash vasn't an accident." 

”No. It wasn’t.” Sulu stood up, whole body wired with a tense anger. “I’d be willing to be the ambassador isn’t looking for us, if she’s even still alive.” He paced for a few steps, mind working quickly to come up with some kind of plan. ”If I remember correctly, the shield we’d come to study, you had anyway, is centered on this wilderness. I guess we know why now.” He spoke, coming to a stop a stop and frowning at the ground. “If the Enterprise is going to have any chance of finding us, we need to get out. The ambassador was beamed down to the city, so if we can get there, maybe we can get off this planet?” He finished, looking over at Chekov for input. There were a lot of ifs and maybe’s in the plan, that was for sure. 

Chekov watched Sulu pace, quietly listening to his thoughts. "So ve have to get to zhe city. But eef zhey're vatching us, as zhey probably are, how do ve get zhere?" he rose to his feet and stared at the closed cave. "Zhey aren't afraid to kill us, Hikaru." he sighed. Life was precious but apparently these people didn't care about that.

Sulu grimace, yes they definitely had little trouble in killing. It was a fact that made the Pilot all the angrier, and very worried.

"Zhere has to be a vay to awoid zheir scanners..." Chekov looked around, mind turning. "Perhaps, eef ve find a control panel or somezhing I could disarm eet long enough for us to slip zhrough." 

”Yeah,” Sulu smiled a bit, catching on to Pavel’s idea. He moved over to the rock, looking for something that might be or conceal a control panel. This thing had to be some sort of machine if it had not only given them supplies, but turned itself into shelter. He only hoped it was something they could use. “We probably shouldn’t stick around here too long though. Our spectator’s video pretty much gave away our position.” He stepped back, frustrated. “Even if we could just see a map, we could at least start heading in the right direction.” 

Chekov glanced up at the trees, half expecting to see some sort of box or something. "Ve could alvays go back to zhe shuttle," he suggested, turning to look at Sulu. "Maybe ve could salwage some supplies. Besides, ve vere going to go to zhe city, right? Vell, ve can just follow zhe vay zhe shuttle vas going and ewentually find zhe city!" he grinned, quite pleased with himself, though he looked to Sulu for confirmation.

Sulu nodded slowly, thinking it through. It wasn’t a bad idea. He didn’t remember there being anything of use at the shuttle, but then again, he hadn’t exactly been thinking straight the last time they were there. If they could get the shuttle working, even if it was just to fly a short distance, they could get that much closer to the city. A grin spread across his face at the thought. “To the shuttle it is.” He agreed. 

The walk back to the shuttle took far less time than Sulu remembered it had taken going the other way. Even with only the one canteen of water to share between them, it wasn’t too difficult a journey. Being uninjured had that effect. Still, it was a good few hours before they finally found themselves back where they’d started, ruined shuttle in front of them. Ok, so maybe it wouldn’t fly.

When they got to the shuttle, Chekov immediately made his way to the door, which was surprisingly, still intact. After it didn't open manually, he leaned back and kicked it open with a grunt. There was no time to spare and they had to leave as soon as possible. He stepped over a still redshirt, fighting the rising nausea. He carefully picked his way through the debris, searching for anything that could be of use. In the end, he came out with a few mangled tools and an extremely sharp bit of metal that could be used for a weapon if it ever came to that.

Chekov handed the crude dagger to Sulu as he tried to determine how to carry the tools easily since their blanket was lost. "Eet vas all I could find," he was saying, pauaing a moment as he finally stuffed the things in his pockets. Thank goodness for belts. "But eet ees better zhan nozhing." 

While Chekov searched the inside, Sulu busied himself checking the circuitry showing on the outer hull. If he remembered correctly, it had been nearly out of power before, but if he could get it back up they might be able to send out a message, or scan the area. He sighed after a few minutes, stepping away with a shake of his head. Nothing. 

He walked back over to the doors just at Chekov was coming back out. He caught a glimpse of the two other engineers, his stomach twisting a little. He wished they had time to bury them, anything but leaving them here. The thought of it left him feeling heavy. He didn’t voice his thoughts aloud, instead accepted the sharp metal Pavel handed to him.   
He looked around, trying to remember which direction the city would be in. He hadn’t exactly landed the shuttle in a straight line after all. “The city should be that direction.” He stated, indicating slightly east. “If we can get there, we can maybe contact the ship.” He reasoned, looking to Chekov for his opinion. Getting there would be difficult, they were being watched after all, but it was the only option they had. It was either that or wait here and try to survive in hopes that Starfleet would somehow manage to talk the Trirx into dropping that shield. 

Chekov nodded, but something else was weighing on his mind. The people at the city had to be waiting for them. They had to know how capable Starfleet officers were and were surely setting some sort of trap. Pavel furrowed his brow slightly but chose to keep the musings to himself as to not worry Sulu anymore.

Another thing was bothering him too, and though he hated to say it, he had to. "Our uniforms..." he glanced down at the bright shirt. "Zhey are a bit conspicuous." there was a black shirt underneath that would work better, but it seemed wrong leaving the uniforms where anyone could come up and take them. Above that it seemed sort of disrespectful in a way, but Chekov was sure the captain would understand.

Sulu’s brow furrowed, but he nodded in agreement. The kid was right, the uniforms would make them stand out. Bright gold and red… didn’t exactly blend into the scenery. Reluctantly, he tugged the gold material over his head, folding it neatly and placing it near the shuttle. He couldn’t bring himself to just throw it down. It felt like they’d been in this place forever and the familiar Starfleet uniform was a reminder that someone was going to be looking for them.

He perked up, tensing as that chime sounded again. He looked around for another projection, but didn’t see one. Suspicious, but not wanting to worry Pavel more than he likely already was, Sulu simply tucked his weapon in his belt. “We should get moving.” He said, leading the way. If the people watching were consistent with what that chime meant, there was only one other person besides the two of them here. Sulu didn’t want to think of what would be expected of them should something happen to the last contestant, or what they would have to do if he found them first.

Chekov was half expecting Sulu to refuse and say that they could continue with the shirts, but apparently his idea had been good enough, and the Russian had no choice but to copy Hikaru. He folded it reverently, placing it next to the gold one. He looked at the two uniforms for a few moments, before turning away as another chime rang. Chekov tensed. It meant one of two things. Either another trap was coming or someone else was... Considering that nothing had happened yet, he decided on the latter with a low heart. Three left including them. He fully hoped that it didn't come so far that one of _them_ was killed. He wasn't sure if he could return to the Enterprise without Sulu.

With a halfhearted nod, Chekov traipsed along behind Hikaru, being careful to avoid fallen leaves and twigs to make the journey as quiet as possible. A little ways on, Chekov heard an eerie laugh somewhere from behind, much like yesterdays. He froze, reaching out to grab Sulu's arm in case the pilot had missed it. "Did tou hear zhat?" he questioned in a low voice, eyes darting back the way they came. "Eet happened yesterday too." 

Sulu stopped when Chekov grabbed him, half turning to look behind them. “Yeah, I heard it.” He assured Pavel, his own voice low as well. He didn’t remember it from yesterday, however he fully trusted the Russian that it had been there. So whoever it had come from was likely tracking them. It was just as likely they’d been responsible for why that chime was sounded. 

Sulu was in no means afraid of a fight, he’d had combat training and had experience using it after all. But the one’s running this were far more appreciative of death and bloodshed than Hikaru could ever possible stomach, and Sulu was positive that their pursuer had likely earned himself some support from the boxes Chekov had described. And if they truly were the only three left, it made sense that he’d be given some assistance in finding the two Starfleet officers. 

”Stay on guard.” He warned Chekov, turning back to continue walking. No sense in just standing there waiting. “I don’t think we’ll be getting out of here without a fight.” He finished, frowning both determined and deeply disturbed. Defending himself and his friend was one thing, killing for the entertainment of someone was entirely different. He wasn’t looking forward to those two colliding. 

Chekov let his arm drop and followed closely beside Sulu, the pilot's words ringing in his ears. They weren't going to go without fighting. It was evident, though Chekov was trying to ignore it. He could hold his own well enough, he was stronger than he looked, but he knew that their opponent could be much more skilled and ready for a fight than they were at the moment.

The Russian took a deep breath and glanced over at Sulu. He knew the Asian was worried and stressed, but it barely showed on his face. Chekov switched his gaze forward again and silently wished he could look that brave, though he knew without looking that he was paler than usual.

It wasn't long before a twig snapped behind them, causing Chekov to whirl around. Before he had time to react, a hooded person leapt forward. Chekov jumped to the side, shouting a warning to Sulu before grabbing one of the tools out of his pocket. He moved forward and aimed a hit at the stranger's shoulder. The connection made him stumble a bit, letting the person get a pxnch to his stomach. Chekov reeled back, watching the opponent make a move to Sulu. The Russian rolled onto his side and threw the tool at the stranger's head, watching as the stranger stumbled a bit.

There was nothing for the longest time. Nothing except the sound of the wilderness around them. It put Hikaru on edge, eyes darting around each clearing they came upon, looking up each thick network of trees they passed under. He knew they were being followed, knew they were being watched, and knew it was only a matter of time.   
Chekov’s shout gave him warning enough to turn and see the stranger lunge forward, moving out of the way in time. As the attacker turned his way, he held up a hand, hoping that perhaps this stranger was as unwilling a participant as they were, and this could be solved peacefully. “Look, we don’t have to—.“ His plea was cut short as the man drew his own weapon, a proper blade, two edged and stained with blood. Whatever it was that Chekov threw next was the only thing that kept Hikaru from dying as the stranger lunged forward. As it was, the steel barely sliced through his shirt, scoring a thin line on his stomach. 

The man had a manic look on his face, barely pausing a moment to recover before he was moving again. The bit of metal that Pavel had given him earlier wasn’t going to be very much of a match against this, but Hikaru pulled it out anyway. It was the best he had. He moved forward in sync with his opponent, using the sharpened metal to block a strike, and attempted to move in and disarm him. 

He wanted to avoid killing him if possible, he still wasn’t positive the man was a willing participant to all this. He struggled briefly with the man, managing to dislodge his hold on the blade. Unfortunately, this left him open, and within moments he was flat on his back in the dirt, sharpened metal skittering away from him. The attacker pounced on him, using his weight to hold the Asian down, and fists flying quickly. 

Chekov had been writhing in pain for a few moments, until he heard flesh colliding with flesh. The Russian struggled to his feet, watching the fight with wide eyes. Surprise turned to anger and his eyes narrowed. How could someone be so cruel and actually _want_ to kill another human. He just couldn't understand it. 

Moving without thought, Chekov barreled forward and tackled the man, both of them rolling to the side. Chekov popped onto the top and he aimed a few punches to the stranger's face. He was furious: furious that he had attacked Sulu, furious that this was happening, furious that they were _stuck here_.

Sulu lay stunned for a moment as the man’s weight was ripped off him. He rolled onto his side, blinking and stumbling to his feet as the two others rolled over, Pavel finally coming out on top. HIkaru had to hand it to the kid, he got in a few good shots before his larger opponent managed to dislodge him. Sulu had regained his senses and balance by that point, eye’s flickering around for something to take their opponent down with, and he didn’t particularly want to use the blade.

There was absolutely nothing in the immediate area, and he didn’t have much time to deliberate as the two were struggling with each other once more, though the man had a sizable advantage in height and weight over Chekov. He let out a near growl of frustration as the man advanced on Pavel, pulling out some kind of wire. He moved forward, leaning down easily to swipe up the discarded bloodied dagger, and silently slipped behind the man. 

Chekov grunted as the man threw him off, hitting the ground hard. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the man advancing with some kind of wire. Before he could roll out of the way, the stranger lunging at him and trying to wrap the cord around his neck. Chekov managed to grab a hold of his forearms and hold his off for a little, but the man was using a surprising amount of force and strength. The Russian wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out, but apparently it didn't matter. As soon as the cord was about to touch Chekov's neck, the man's eyes widened with both surprise and pain. A second later he went limp, head falling heavily into Chekov's chest. 

Sulu couldn’t believe he was doing this again. This guy wasn’t a Romulan, but the situation felt the same to Hikaru. The only difference being that after it was done, Sulu was left breathing heavily, jaw clenched tightly, staring down at a body. There was no platform for it to drop off, essentially erasing the evidence. He didn’t look at Chekov, hearing him moving and breathing was enough confirmation, for now, that the kid was fine. He closed his eyes, flinching slightly as that damn chime sounded again. 

The navigator quickly pushed the body off and jumped to his feet, breathing heavily. A cold shiver went down his spine as the bell chimed. It was only them now. He looked over at Sulu, fiddling with his hands absently. If they were going to ask him to kill his best friend, he wasn't going to do it. They could do whatever they wanted, but as long as he was in his sane mind and could control his body, he wasn't going to lay a hand on Sulu simply for survival.

The silence started to get to him and he figured words, no matter how awkward, would be better than the unforgiving silence. "Only two left." his voice was thick and raspy, but he didn't care. The situation was growing dire. They had to reach the city before something else happened.

Sulu let out a long sigh, trying to get his tense muscles to relax. Yes, there were only the two of them left. He turned to look at Chekov, glancing him over quickly to make sure he wasn’t hurt. Beyond some red marks that may turn to bruises, he looked unharmed. Doubtless the orchestrates of this little escapade would expect them to turn on each other next. That would be the day… Hikaru wasn’t about to harm his friend, much less kill him. 

”We should get going.” He said tonelessly. It would only be a matter of time before something happened, he was sure. The natives were looking to be a bloodthirsty bunch of creatures, and Sulu would bet they wouldn’t be allowed to simply walk to the city unimpeded. He hesitated before he started moving, looking over at Chekov. “You know that no matter what happens, I’m not going to fight you. Right?” he asked. He was certain Pavel knew it, and frankly just needed the reassurance for himself. The natives were bound to try and coerce them, and if they couldn’t make it to the city, couldn’t contact the enterprise, he’d die himself first. 

Chekov nodded, keeping his gaze down. He was curious as to why Sulu had hesitated, but his next words made it clear. He wanted to say the same and to reassure the pilot, but a sudden lump in his throat made it impossible. At least he knew they were on the same page. Chekov managed a smile and threw his arm around Sulu's shoulder for a few seconds before letting it slip away and returning to a quiet walk. 

After awhile he began to wonder how far the city actually was. And how they were going to get there faster. At the rate they were going, they weren't going to get /anywhere/ before dark. He glanced over at Hikaru, wondering if the Asian was up to talking yet. Destroying a man - no matter the reason - was a hard thing and Chekov wanted to make sure the other was okay. "Karu," he began gently, nudging the man's arm some. "Eef you don't mind... Did you have any ideas on how to _get_ to zhe city? I am not sure eef ve can valk zhe vhole vay..." 

Sulu calmed down a great deal at Chekov’s supportive gesture, leading the way towards the city in silence. He still wasn’t back to his old self, though he attributed that the how they were still stuck here. They walked in silence for quite a while before Chekov spoke up, voicing much the same thought that Hikaru had been entertaining himself. Just how _were_ they going to get there. And what would they do then?

He came to a stop, a feeling of complete and utter hopelessness coming over him. Chekov was _right_. They couldn’t possible make it all the way to the city. Not on foot. “I really don’t know.” He admitted, glancing over at Pavel. He hated to let his friend down, but he was at a loss. “There’s n—“ He jumped at a loud hissing noise, a thin yellow mist floating up from beneath their feet. He took a step back, eyes widening as he looked around. It was all over the place, and rising fast. Sulu was already coughing.   
He grabbed hold of Chekov as he started moving forward, they had to at least _try_ to get out of the mist and he didn’t want to get separated. He might as well not have bothered. He barely made it more than five feet before the world was swimming and he was on his knees, darkness following soon after.

Chekov felt a prick of disappointment when Sulu mentioned that he didn't know. The pilot _always_ had an idea, and Chekov knew that if he didn't, it meant things really were bad. He still had faith in his friend, however, and perked up a bit to listen to the rest of what he had to say. Sulu didn't get very far, however, as yellow mist suddenly started to spring up, instantaneously surrounding them. It started to scare him that he could no longer see Hikaru and reached out to try and find him. It seemed that the pilot had the same idea for a split second later Chekov felt him grab his wrist. They ran, but things were already beginning to blur for the Russian. Absently he felt Sulu fall somewhere next to him. He could feel himself slipping as well, passing out before he could feel the ground beneath him.

When he woke, he was alone. He jerked upright, heart racing as he looked around. It was a cell of sorts, plain grey walls and floor. What he had been laying on was little more than a cement slab. There was very little light, coming from a dim florescent few lines in the grey ceiling above. Sulu stood up, moving forward cautiously as the door slid open with a grating noise. 

There was a type of phaser lying on the stone floor outside the cell. He crouched and picked it up automatically, freezing at the sound of another door. Sulu didn’t know where he was, or more importantly where Chekov was, but he knew there had to be some sort of catch. He didn’t even entertain the thought that Chekov might not be here, that something might have happened. Taking a deep breath, Sulu moved forward, intent on finding the Russian.

 

It was some time before the Russian awoke, but when he did, his first thought was 'where am I?' Chekov sat up slowly, looking around as his heart began to beat faster. He was alone and he had no idea where he was. He jumped to his feet as the door opened, staring at the phaser beyond it with a skeptical expression. After a few seconds and nothing happened, Chekov moved forward, taking the weapon and slipping it through his belt. The tools from earlier were still with him, so obviously he hadn't been checked or anything. 

Through the thick confusion of why he was here and now armed, his biggest concern was to find Sulu. He realized he couldn't do that in the room he was in and stepped forward. Another door opened and he cautiously stepped through. He saw Sulu straight ahead and his heart leapt. He was alive! But was it really the pilot? Chekov had been through enough to know that if it was too good to be true, it probably was. 

Still, it was the biggest lead he had at the moment concerning the whereabouts of his friend and he moved forward. "Karu?" he called quietly, choosing to use the nickname to show that it was really him and not somebody else. His muscles tensed as he grew closer, eventually stopping once he could see Sulu clearly, but also have enough time to run if necessary.

Sulu tensed, straightening up to look around as he heard a noise. It was a faint echo, and he couldn’t make out what had been said. He lifted the weapon reflexively as he saw a form approaching. As soon as he recognized his friend, he sighed, lowering the phaser and relaxing. It was a relief to see him, alive and well. “Pav, hey. Glad you’re alright.” He moved forward confidently, too relieved at the friendly face to even begin doubting whether it was really him. “We wanted out of the forest… Guess we got that wish.” 

There had to be a catch though. And Sulu was sure it would show up sometime soon. He looked down at the odd phaser in his hand. It was big and bulky, containing far more wires than he thought strictly necessary. “Think you could use these things to fix the communicator. Or boost the signal?”

It was definitely Sulu. Chekov relaxed somewhat at the familiar sound of his nick name and strode forward, relief flooding through him that his friend was alright. He could see some of the strain disappear from Hikaru's body language as well, as he approached. At the man's statement, the Russian let out a quiet chuckle. It was a dark realization, but a true one, though he had to admit that he felt safer inside than outside. At least at the moment. 

After Sulu had brought out his idea, Chekov studied the phaser in his hand. "Eef zhere ees some sort of forcefield, I do not know eef I can get zhrough," he said absently, thinking. "But perhaps zhere ees some kind of break." his gaze shifted to Sulu with a small smile. "Eet's vorth a try!" he situated himself with his back against the wall and slid to the floor, opening the back of the weapon. There were many wires, but it seemed to be a simple contraption. He reached into his pocket and took out the communicator, laying it flat on the floor. He began to take apart some of the wires inside the phaser, carefully avoiding ones which could make the item dangerous. Ideas whirred in his head as his fingers worked. 

They didn't have much time and he had to go fast, but he also couldn't risk messing up and putting them in more danger than they were already in. "Eet vill hopefully only take a couple of meenutes," he murmured, pausing a moment to extract a stubborn wire. "Zhe mechanics in zhe phaser are not modern. Or eef zhey are, eet ees wery simple." 

Sulu paced in a short path in front of Chekov as the kid worked, keeping watch though the corridor was completely empty. It calmed him some, hearing the Russians explanation of what he was doing, though Hikaru wasn’t really following all the steps. Good enough for him that they might have a way out of here. He paused, hearing loud rumble and the sound of stone grating against stone. He looked around confused briefly before catching sight of some dust floating down from above. Looking up, he cursed, watching the room slowly descend. Apparently they’d been loitering too long. 

”Time to go Pav.” He commented, pulling his friend up and helping gather up any spare equipment laying around. Who knew if they might need the spare bits later. That done, he set of at a quick jog, glancing up worriedly.

"Almost--" the Russian was cut off by the loud rumble. He jumped as a bit of dust and roof fell onto his shoulder. Sulu was reacting by this time, helping him up and urging him forward. Chekov trotted close behind the Asian, head down as he tried to finish the makeshift communicator. He had been so close to being done, but with his shaking hands and the fact that they were running for their lives, it would take a little longer than it would have if he were just sitting quietly like before. 

The ceiling wasn’t exactly moving quickly, but it was the _entire corridor_ and not simply the section at which they’d been resting. Still leading the way, Sulu turned a corner, this new corridor just as long as the previous complete with a few doors and side corridors. His heart dropped seeing the ceiling here was descending as well. They needed to find somewhere safe, quickly, before they ran out of time and places to go.

Chekov blindly followed Sulu, glancing up every now and then as the roof slid closer. He took a shaky breath and looked down again, snapping the last piece in place. "Got eet!" he exclaimed, raising it to his mouth. If it didn't work and there was no place to go, this would be the end. "Chekov to Enterprise, come in Enterprise!" his voice rose higher in pitch, partly because of fear and partly because he was screaming. "Come _in_ Enterprise!" he had no idea if the signal was penetrating the force field or not, but if anything it steadied him somewhat as it gave him something to focus on other than the steadily shrinking room.

Sulu was on his knees by this point, watching worriedly as Chekov yelled into the communicator. There was a crackled of static, the thing sparking slightly, but Kirk’s voice was heard responding. “…ay te… Sulu, Chekov… hold on we’re locking on to your signal now.” Karu wished they would hurry up, it was getting very cramped here. He glanced over worriedly at Chekov, waiting tensely. His let out a short laugh of relief, seeing the tell-tale glow of the transporters circling around Chekov. Moments later they were crouched on the transporter pad, Kirk walking through the doors to meet them. He gave them a worried grin, relieved to see them, but the stress of the past couple days showed on his face. “Glad you guys are back safe. We’ve got the ambassador back, she’s in sickbay.”

Sulu nodded, straightening and stepping off the transporter and giving Kirk a grin. “You guys cut it a little close.” Still, it was a relief to be back on the ship and he was glad the ambassador was okay. He wasn’t looking forward to writing the report on this one, it was going to take a while to explain what happened. Kirk waved them out the door, shaking his head. “You guys go get checked out in sickbay, we’ll do the debrief later.” Sulu nodded, heading off with Chekov, ready for the day to be over.


End file.
